The girls volleyball team’s six year State Championship win streak came to an end last year when they were defeated in the State Quarterfinals by St. Joseph’s Academy in two sets. On Aug. 27, the Lady Lancers faced off against the Angels for the first time since their heartbreaking loss, and the outcome was vastly different this time around.

The Lady Lancers defeated St. Joseph’s on the Angel’s home court in a dramatic three set fashion. The girls’ inspiration for the win came from last year’s loss.

“Our motivation was definitely to prove ourselves and what we have worked so hard towards and to get pay back from last year,” junior Allison Beaton said. “We wanted to get revenge for our 10 seniors last year.”

St. Joseph’s went into the season ranked No. 1 on STLtoday’s large school rankings while the Lancers were ranked No. 3. The Lancers were also coming off a two set loss to Oakville that opened their season.

“Our game against St. Joe went great and better than we expected. After we lost to Oakville, all of us agreed that losing wasn’t an option and that we had to put it all out there,” junior Brooke Borgmeyer said.

Both Beaton and Borgmeyer were standouts in the Lancer’s 25-22 first set victory. Beaton gave the Lancers momentum by earning back-to-back points to gain the lead, and Borgmeyer soon followed with eight straight points from the service line. Borgmeyer ended the game with a total of 14 rotation points and two aces. However, she doesn’t think she would have been as successful if  it wasn’t for her teammates.

“I personally discovered that with my teammates support and encouragement, I was able to keep my serve and get us ahead in the third set,” Borgmeyer said. “Without them, I probably would’ve faltered and been unsure of myself.”

After a tough first set, the Angels came back to defeat the Lancers 25-23 in the second set. However, the Lancers exploded in the third set by getting out to a quick 8-4 lead and never looking back. The Lancers claimed that set 25-15.

Beaton admires the way her team never gave up on a play during the intense competition.

She said, “The way we kept the ball alive in any way we could really pushed the momentum on our side. I was worried we were going to try to do too much or our nerves would slow us down, but those things were never a problem for us.”

Beaton finished the game with seven kills while senior Staciana Stock led the team with 12.

The victory not only served as a breakout game for both first-year varsity players Beaton and Borgmeyer, but it was also a learning experience for the junior duo.

“I learned how we are able to come together and fight for what we really want. Once we calm ourselves down in stressful situations and just do what we know, we are unstoppable,” Beaton said. “The chemistry we have as a team is so special because we always know how to bring each other up and in games like the St. Joseph game, it was little things like that that really put us on top.”

Because this was just the second varsity game the girls played in, they were also exposed to the high level of intensity that comes with varsity competitions.

“The atmosphere of the game was exciting with lots of energy from both sides of the court and the fans cheering their teams on. It was fascinating how all this commotion was going on around us, and we still were able to stay focused on the task at hand,” Borgmeyer said.

Both girls look at the win as a stepping stone for future success going forward in the season.

“We really know our potential now, but this is only the beginning. We will keep working hard and pushing each other each and everyday to get better and be the best we can be. [We could] possibly even win State.” Beaton said

Head Coach Zachary Young was pleased with his team’s victory, and he also hopes it will help his team throughout the rest of the season.

“Hopefully [the win] builds some confidence. I was very proud of the way such a young team fought and competed against a good team like St. Joe,” Young said. “We have a team that can persevere and compete with any team in the state.”